2. And all sin is actually pardoned to a true penitent believer.
Quest. II. What if a man do frequently commit the same heinous sin; may he be pardoned?
Answ. Whilst he frequently committeth it (being a mortal sin) he doth not truly repent of it; and whilst he is impenitent he is unpardoned: but if he be truly penitent, his heart being habitually and actually turned from the sin, it will be forgiven him; but not till he thus forsake it.
Quest. III. Is the day of grace and pardon ever past in this life?
Answ. The day of grace and pardon to the penitent is never past in this life;[175] there is no day or hour in which a true penitent person is not pardoned; or in which the impenitent is not conditionally pardoned, that is, if he will truly repent and believe in Christ: and as for the day of true penitence, it is not past to the impenitent; for it never yet came, that is, they never truly repented. But there is a time, with some provoking, forsaken sinners, when God who was wont to call them to repentance by outward preaching and inward motions, will call and move them so no more, but leave them more quietly in the blindness and hardness of their hearts.
Quest. IV. May we be certain of pardon of sin in this life?
Answ. Yes, every man that understandeth the covenant of grace, may be certain of pardon, so far as he is certain of the sincerity of his faith and repentance, and no further; and if a man could not be sure of that, the consolatory promises of pardon would be in a sort in vain; and we could not tell how to believe and repent, if we cannot tell when we truly do it.
Quest. V. Can any man pardon sins against God? and how far?
Answ. Pardon is the remitting of a punishment. So far as man is to punish sinners against God, so far they may pardon, that is, remit that punishment. (Whether they do well in so doing, is another question.) Magistrates are to execute corporal penalties upon subjects for many sins against God, and they may pardon accordingly. The pastors of the church, who are its guides as to public church communion, may remove offenders from the said communion, and they may absolve them when they are penitent, and they may (rightfully or wrongfully) remit the penalty which they may inflict. 2. The pastors of the church may, as God's officers, declare the conditional general pardon, which is contained in the covenant of grace; and that with particular application to the sinner, for the comforting of his mind: q. d. Having examined your repentance, I declare to you as the minister of Christ, that if it be as you express it, without dissembling or mistake, your repentance is sincere, and your sin is pardoned. 3. On the same terms a pastor may as the minister or messenger of Christ, deliver this same conditional pardon contained in the covenant of grace, as sealed by the sacraments of baptism and the Lord's supper; which is an act of investiture: q. d. I do as the minister of Christ, hereby seal and deliver to you in his name, the pardon of all your sins through his blood; supposing your professed faith and repentance be sincere; otherwise it is void and of no such effect. But this is, 1. But a conditional pardon, though with particular application. 2. And it is but a ministerial act of delivery or investiture, and not the act of the donor by himself; nor the gift of the first title: so that it is no whit proper to say, that the minister pardoneth you; but that the minister bringeth and delivereth you the pardon, and sealeth it in his Master's name; or that Christ doth pardon you, and send it you by his minister. As it is utterly improper to say, that the king's messenger pardoneth a traitor, because he bringeth him a pardon from the king. And though (if we agree of this sense) the controversy remaining will be but de nomine, yet it is not of small moment, when abused words do tend to abuse the people's understandings: he that saith, I forgive your sins, doth teach the people to take him for a god, whatever he meaneth in himself; and blasphemous words will not be sufficiently excused, by saying that you have not a blaspheming sense. So that a pastor may, 1. Declare Christ's pardon. 2. And seal and deliver it conditionally in Christ's name. But he cannot pardon the internal punishments in this life, nor the eternal punishments of the next. 3. But the punishments of excommunication he may pardon, who must execute them.
Quest. VI. Doth God forgive sin before it be committed (or justify the sinner from it)?